GALLANT, HENRY JOSEPH

Name: Henry Joseph Gallant
Rank/Branch: E8/US Army 5th Special Forces
Unit: Detachment B-52 Delta
Date of Birth: 30 September 1929
Home City of Record: Tampa FL
Date of Loss: 13 July 1965
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 140342N 1083335E (BR365558)
Status (in 1973): Killed/Body Not Recovered
Category: 3
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: Ground
Refno: 0109
Other Personnel In Incident: Fred Taylor (missing)

Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 15 October 1990 from one or more
of the following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources,
correspondence with POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews. Updated
by the P.O.W. NETWORK 2020.

REMARKS: WOUND GUT - AIRGND SERCH NEG - J

SYNOPSIS: On July 13, 1965, SFC Fred Taylor and MSGT Henry J. Gallant were
U.S. Army Special Forces (B-52 Delta) advisors to a South Vietnamese unit
(ARVN) on a reconnaissance mission in Dien Bien Province, South Vietnam when
they were engaged by a hostile force.

During the battle, Gallant was wounded, although the seriousness of his
wound was not known. The two were cut off from the bulk of their ARVN unit
and were last seen as they were moving southwest into the surrounding jungle
in an attempt to evade the enemy. All searches conducted were negative.

While the A Detachments of the Special Forces concentrated on manning static
defenses and training natives in local defense, the B Detachments were
committed to deep strikes into uncontrolled territory to seek out Viet Cong
formations and supply sources. The genesis of this program (May, 1964) was
called Leaping Lena, and provided the groundwork for the formation of a
combined American/South Vietnamese special reconnaissance unit capable of
conducting these hazardous missions. Organized as Project DELTA in October
1964, Detachment B-52 was created to provide a control headquarters in June
1965.

Sgts. Gallant and Taylor were not ordinary foot soldiers. They were highly
trained in survival and evasion techniques. The chances of their survival,
barring outright assassination, are high. The fact that Gallant was wounded
and that all searches proved negative do not suggest survival, but do not
contradict it.

As the years have passed, over 10,000 reports have been received relating to
Americans missing, prisoner, or unaccounted for in Southeast Asia. These
reports have convinced many that hundreds are still alive in the hands of a
long-ago enemy. Gallant and Taylor could be among them. What are we doing to
bring these men home?


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

01/2020

https://dpaa.secure.force.com/dpaaProfile?id=a0Jt0000000KYjJEAW

MSG HENRY JOSEPH GALLANT

Return to Service Member Profiles

On July 13, 1965, two U.S. Army Special Forces advisors and a group of South Vietnamese soldiers were on a reconnaissance mission in South Vietnam in the vicinity of (GC) BR 365 558, when they were engaged by a hostile force. One of the two advisors was wounded in the fighting and both were last seen moving into the surrounding jungle to seek cover, with the uninjured man assisting the wounded one. Extensive air and ground searches were conducted during the following ten days but were unable to locate either soldier.

Master Sergeant Henry Joseph Gallant, who entered the U.S. Army from Florida, served with Detachment B-52 of the 5th Special Forces Group. He was the advisor who was wounded during the engagement with the enemy, and remains unaccounted for. Today, Master Sergeant Gallant is memorialized on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

Based on all information available, DPAA assessed the individual's case to be in the analytical category of Active Pursuit.

If you are a family member of this serviceman, DPAA can provide you with additional information and analysis of your case. Please contact your casualty office representative.

Service member profile discrepancy? Please help us ensure the accuracy of each profile by submitting documentation about a service member profile.